Labour Court rejects Paul Canning’s wages appeal against Aer Lingus

The Labour Court rejected Paul Canning’s appeal over his wages complaint against Aer Lingus (Ireland) Ltd, leaving the Adjudication Officer’s decision in place. The determination was dated 20 July 2016. Canning worked 20 hours a week as a ramp agent at Cork Airport on a fixed-term contract. He argued that unpaid breaks kept him at the employer’s disposal and meant he needed longer or more shifts to reach his contracted hours. Aer Lingus said it paid him for at least 20 hours each week and deducted no more than 30 minutes for breaks. The Court found that the contract’s break provisions were clear and applied consistently with working-time requirements. Canning had not shown an unlawful deduction from his wages, so the earlier finding that his Payment of Wages Act claims were not well founded stood.